LSAT 151 | Section 3 | Logical Reasoning: Q10

LR Question 10 Explanation

QUESTION TEXT: Physician: Clinical psychologists who are not also doctors …

QUESTION TYPE: Principle – Justify

CONCLUSION: Psychologists who don’t have medical degrees shouldn’t be allowed to prescribe psychiatric medication.

REASONING: Doctors with medical degrees receive much more training than psychologists.

ANALYSIS: The conclusion is about who shouldn’t be allowed to prescribe medications. It’s those without years of training in such fields (neuroscience, physiology, pharmacology).

The principle should tell us that without such training, you shouldn’t be allowed to prescribe psychiatric medications.

___________

1. The argument is about why non-MD psychologists shouldn’t be allowed to prescribe. This only tells us who should be allowed to prescribe.
2. This introduces a new requirement the argument never relies on. There’s no mention of clinical psychology.
3. CORRECT. This justifies why psychologists without medical degrees shouldn’t be allowed to prescribe: because they don’t have years of training that comes with a medical degree.
4. The argument treats years of training as a necessary condition, not a sufficient one. Without it, you can’t prescribe. It doesn’t say if you have it, you can always prescribe. Maybe there’s other requirements to be able to prescribe as well.
5. This suggests how their education might be improved, but does not establish they should not currently be allowed to prescribe.